How things look through an Oregonian's eyes

September 09, 2019

VW's new electric ID3: appealing design and quirkiness

I'm already a big fan of the electric car VW revealed today at the Frankfurt auto show. Only problem, every report I've seen says that the ID3 won't be sold in the United States, because we Americans aren't big on smallish hatchbacks.

The first of many EVs based on the modular MEB platform to arrive in the future, the ID.3 takes the shape of a traditional five-door hatchback with an autonomous range of up to 550 kilometers (342 miles) depending on the battery option. Production of the zero-emission vehicle begins in November this year and Volkswagen is proudly announcing more than 30,000 examples have already been pre-ordered.

...What’s probably way more important for the regular customers, Volkswagen promises to keep the price for the entry-level version below €30,000 in Germany, which translates to roughly $33,300 at the current rates. That second figure doesn’t mean the manufacturer will sell the EV in the United States but the I.D. Crozz electric SUV that will follow should be available at this side of the pond. What a shame we won't be getting the EV hatch in America.

Yes, it sure is a shame. What we'll be getting in the United States is the larger ID Crozz, which as I wrote about recently, could be my next car. As shown in the spy-shot below, the Crozz appears to have a similar shape to the ID3, just bigger.

I like the look and feel of the interior of the ID3. It has the clean, simple lines that I adore in my GTI, albeit with a much heavier dose of digital technology.

The display in front of the driver appears to have a crisp appearance.

The Motor 1 story includes the full VW press release for the ID3. There's a lot to like in it. Here's an appealingly quirky ID3 feature.

A further highlight of the matrix LED headlights is when drivers approach a parked ID.3 1ST, its headlights will briefly look at them and “flutter the eyelids”—friendly and with a human touch.